1-26-16 iJ1 Broadcast: Prayer event, Ski Club and Chipotle update.

Two Sundays ago on January 10, over 500 people gathered in the gymnasium and around the Hogue to pray for the school and the Forward Together campaign. This event was the first of its kind and was coordinated by a core team of parents but also included many students, teachers and administrators throughout the school.  The High School worship team led the group in worship. Multiple prayer stations were located throughout the Hogue with a variety of themes ranging from quiet self-reflection and repentance to an interactive prayer art installation. The event was followed with a 21 day prayer and fast.  Worthington Christian thanks those who came out to attend the prayer event asks for your continued prayers and support for the Forward Together campaign which is seeking to raise 4 million by this summer to build new facilities.  If you have further questions and would like to schedule to attend one of the forums, please contact the office of Advancement at together@worthingtonchristian.com

The 2016 Ski Club season is well under way at Snow Trails in Mansfield, Ohio and has been a lot of fun for everyone involved.  According to the high school coordinator, Trevor Wadsworth, "it is a great time to spend with friends playing in the snow."  The club takes a charter bus up every Friday after school during ski season and enjoys pizza and a movie before embarking on a fun evening of snow boarding and skiing.

Chipotle, the fast casual burrito chain has reported cases of norovirus, salmonella, and E. Coli outbreaks since the summer in 9 states which has sickened dozes.  According to the New York Daily News, Chipotle now faces a criminal investigation after a norovirus outbreak at one of its restarts in California.  This has caused their stocks to fall drastically by 44% since the summer, according to the Wall Street Journal.  Only one case has been reported in norther Ohio back in November 2015, but there are currently no cases reported in Columbus.  CEO, Steve Ells has declared the outbreak over and plans an aggressive advertising campaign in February 2016 to woo back its customers, but all 19,000 locations will shut down temporarily for a few hours on Monday, February 8 for a national staff meeting about food safety according to CNN.

1-27-16 iJournalsim II broadcast with Collin Kimbrough: YWCA Bright Futures award winner, Mya Weatherby and Update on E. Coli with Christie Burns

For nearly 20 years, the YWCA Bright Futures leadership program has been helping to build up the leadership skills of young high school junior girls through forums and community service.  This year, one of those awards was given to WC's own Mya Weatherby.  Weatherby applied back in December 2015 and was presented with the award by assistant principal, Tim Kraynak and school counselor, Nancy Secrest shortly after returning from the holiday break.  When asked about receiving this award, Weatherby replied, "it is great, honorable and even just being considered for this award is a great experience." According to Weatherby, there are a number of high school junior girls who get together every Saturday between January and June to talk about social justice, diversity, and bettering the community. This group of girls also volunteers for organizations such as Walk For The Cure. Weatherby said, "This is a great opportunity to experience new things in the community."

Amidst growing concerns over the E. coli, salmonella and norovirus outbreaks recently to plague Chipotle and its customers, the source of the outbreak was never identified.  WCHS Biology teacher, Christie Burns works with non-pathogenic E. Coli bacteria in her classroom and provided  insightful information that could help WC students stay protected from the harmful bacteria. "The easiest way to keep it in the right places in our body is to make sure we wash our hands, wash our food, and prepare it properly," according to Burns.  Although Chipotle officials were unable to locate the source of the E. Coli, all 19,000 locations have been sanitized and the outbreak is declared over.  An aggressive campaign to gain back its customers is schedule for early February 2016.
~Collin Kimbrough